When a toddler doesn't want to eat, it is frustrating to parents. They want their child to be happy and healthy, and lack of appetite can cause a child to have slowed development. By being patient and diligent, parents can help picky or challenged eaters to get back to eating healthy meals daily.
Instructions
1. Start by keeping a journal of the items the toddler does enjoy eating over a couple days. Make notes on what time the toddler seems hungrier than others and the foods the toddler seems to enjoy more than others.
2. Have the toddler help select items at the grocery store that they enjoy eating to help them feel connected to the food they will eat. Make sure to continue offering the toddler three main meals daily along with 2-3 snacks during the day. Try not to pressure the child to eat. Instead, allow them to determine how much they would like to eat at meal times.
3. Integrate natural herbal items into the toddler's diet that will enhance their metabolism and aide in helping boost their appetite. Ginger, Borago officinalis and Emblica officinalis are herbs that can be found in local health food stores and can be added into a toddler's diet to increase healthy metabolism.
4. Get creative with food and try to have fun food items available at meal times. Turn sandwiches into faces or make meatballs in interesting shapes. Avoid high fat and salt food items and provide healthy choices for the toddler as often as possible.
5. Educate the toddler about food and what it does for the body. Take the toddler on field trips to local food producers such as a dairy farm to teach the child about how food is created and where it comes from. This may encourage their eating habits.
6. Make sure to set good eating habits by eating by example. Have family meals where everyone sits at the table and eats together. Allow the toddler to feed itself by providing finger food options. Give the toddler juice or home made or store bought smoothies as drink options at meals, which offers healthy nutrients along with needed calories.
Tags: about food, along with, eating habits, enjoy eating, food items, into toddler, into toddler diet